Brake slack adjuster for railway cars



June 3o,1931. RBCAMP 1,812,256

BRAKE SLACK ADJUSTER FOR RAILWAY CARS Fild Jan. 17, 1929 2 sheets-sheet 1 l /'Q'Z lz J5 35 \\\\\\\\\\n\\\\\\l\\\\n l! l I 46 g y 23 26 s :h q 25 62 3 P. B. CAMP 1,812,256

BRAKE sLAcx ADJusTER FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Jan. 17. 1929 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 f 2@ 43 a 4546 3 56 wf@ June 30, 1931.

'l forA railway cars; Iand hasforits principal Patented-dune 30, A1931 f slLAoiz ADSTER This invention relatesjto brake mechanism i f obj-ect to provide an'.v adjusting mechanism connection With i freight 'car Vthe'parts Ain the position theyjassume dureV taken, respectively,

that will not v and that 'Willbereliabl'ein operation. Y Furtherobjects and advantagesof the inL vention will become apparent'aslthe disclo-/f` sure proceeds andthe ydescriptionis readin ling the parts in theposition'fthey assumev 'during release prparantery totlheins'tallation of j uster Awith the parts displac'ed-tobetter shi-on7 their form.

' But this specific` respondingl-y specific descriptionv areuse'd for the purpose ofV `disclosure only, and:VA it is'fnot e to other'applications and'opera'tedby hand. y In the ,diagram shoWn'infVFig. 1,;10 indi`A ates truck b olst`ers 11 truck Wheels, l2 'brake the Prior intendedv to Atherehv' impose; limitationsjfon the claimsbeyond whatis-made necessary/by l art, forit isl realized' that theinvem tion maybe embodied inotherorms andput shoes, 13 'dead truck'levers,fi14`-flive truck levers,' 15 bottomltruck hfars,' 16 brake rods, 1.7 dead -cylinder lever, lrlive cylinder lever, 19 cylinderr lever. Coniirectiion,` 2Q brake cylinder, 21 brake piston,22 push rod. 2Such mechanisms are'too familiar to: require any V detail description. jf j r i z* be disturhedfby bufhng shocks,

the aecompanying drawings",Y

brake mechanism equipped' with V An adjustingrod 39'(Figs.141t016) Ve'xtenivis v through v'the head 40 into thehousing, andis fg 1 so rfv vItisi'vious thats-Eby vSiiftiigthe filiera' f j t the deadA truck levers^13foutwardly or -to- Ward the ends ofthe carfthat ,compensation 25, and bottom 'flanges'or rai1s26.

.may be made'for-Wear on' the brake shoes 12,' f `,vv/hire shiftingthm inthe-opposite diie@non. Will permit thev installation *of nevv `brake j shoes. These' functions are accomplished and; permitted vbythe brake adjuster shown in de-V i l j j i tail in the remaining'vievvsof the drawings. j l Thebase of the adjuster is a guidehousing *generally indicated fby'23' inA Figs. 1` to4 3, f y Which'include's' a top 24 (Figs. 8 and 9), sides f Si Wir-.milite housing, and "dingen meting.' i

26,is afracl; 27 (Fig. 10), havingtwojsets of l teeth 28 sep arated ley-a depressed tracker 'Way l 129 and-fitted at thehott'on .with a perforated i arm-.30, which is /eonn'eeted to thie dead 'cylin' der lever 13 by shackle including links '31'`r (Figg 5) and pins`32.Q'A holding paWl .33

(Fig.

piece 37 near theto'es ,3.8, Whichfengage the 10) is pivoted on a sliaftllKFigs Tand l A8) extending Vthroughthe sides 2 5 of the hous- .V ing 23, and having oneiend 135 bent dowvnv'vardly to *forni a handle. *The pavvl k33 is #c oinposed fof two arms 36,'-conn'e'ct'ed v'lov 'crosse-* runnin'g'fon the traok .for Way-29,'and affo'r-l f- Wardly extending slide 43-adapted ,to cOp-j Verate with the top 24 of thehousing.1 Y

1A' driving pa-Wl 441"(Figp10ffis'pi voted astride the head 41 on aredi45-Which pawvl is also composed oftvvosimilar armsf46, con-" necte'd by-Vanarched crossspiece 47 adjacent i vtothe toes '48, Which-,engage ftherackrteeth iggff i rod-'379 betweenthe hea-ds and 41,Qa`nd serves j" to'rv keep thlparts.f in the-positionjshovmgmv Y 28 on the rack 27'. vAfspring49,encireleslthe cross pin45..

`.ipmii001;151 iigfilis use mnntd vastride` Athe head 41 `and pivoted onfvvthje,lustig/15,y 5100 irThev ad'usting frodl ismade froma'piecefof f half round stock]hentlth form an Yelongated eye, (Figj'3), andthe endsare brought 1 'togetheruin the head 41 and'vmadefastbythe f and has end portions 52 adapted to underlie the heels 53 on the holding pawl 33, as best shown in Fig. 5, to thereby prevent the holding pawl from being released by shocks caused by buffing. This lock 51 is composed of two arms 54, connected by across-piece 55.

A cam or wedge-block 56 (Fig. 10), provided with a lifting surface 57 and a socket 58, is mounted to slide upon the track or way 29 of the rack 27 and cooperate withl the holding pawl, between the arms 36 of which the shaft 34 is equipped with a hub 59 (Fig. 10) having a downwardly extended arm 60 to cooperate with the socket 58, and a rearwardly extended arm 61 adapted to cooperate with the arched cross-piece 47 of the driving pawl 44.

The eye 50 of the adjusting rod 39 is connected with the brake rod 16 or the live truck lever 14 by a clevis 62 (Figs. 2 and The .vye 50 and the clevis 62 are of such proportions ia' normal brake shoe travel or piston travel may be had without disturbing the adjuster. Upon excess travel, however, the clevis 62 draws the eye 50, and therefore the adjusting rod 39, to the left in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Such movement takes the pawl lock 51 awa-y from the holding pawl, and therefore releases it for disengagement from the rack.

If the movement of the adjusting rod is sufficient, the driving pawl 44 will engage a tooth 28 of the rack 27 to the left of that which it had formerly engaged, and upon release of the brake mechanism the spring 49 will move the rod 39, and with it the head 41 and the driving pawl 44, to the right, shifting the rack 27 along the guide beneath the holding pawl 33. As the parts approach normal position, teeth 28 on the rack running under the toes 38, will rotate the pawl 33, and lower the heels 53 into the path of the end portions 52, and thus cause the pawl lock 5l to rotate counterclockwise until the holding pawl can drop into its seat between two of the teeth 28, when the lock will, by gravity, drop to the position shown in Fig. 5 and lock the holding pawl in place. A similar operation may be had by shifting the adjusting rod to the left manually and letting it return to the right.

Vhen it becomes necessary to install new brake shoes the rack 27 must be released and the fulcra of the dead cylinder levers moved toward the holsters 10. This is accomplished by shifting the arm 35 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 7, which causes the arm 61 to engage theI arched cross piece 47 of the driving pawl which, in turn, engages the pawl lock 51 and causes it to be released along with the driving pawl 44, and which shifting of the arm 35 also causes the arm 6() to move the cam or wedge 56 to the left in Fig. 7, bringing the surface 57 into contact with the inclined lower surface of the cross piece 37, and disengaging the holding pawl. This being accomplished the racks are readily shifted along the guides to the desired position.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a brake mechanism, a lever, a rack operatively connected with the lever, a relatively fixed guide for the rack, a holding pawl on the guide engaging the rack, an adjuster moving with respect to the guide upon excess brake movement, a spring resisting such movement of the adjuster and automatically restoring it upon release of the brakes, a driving pawl on the adjuster engaging the rack, and means operated by the adjuster for securing the holding pawl in engagement with the rack.

2. In a brake mechanism, a lever, a rack opera-tively connected with the lever, a relatively xed guide for the rack, a holding pawl on the guide engaging the rack, and adjuster moving with respect to the guide upon excess brake movement, a spring resisting such movement of the adjuster and automatically restoring it upon release of the brakes, a driving pawl on the adjuster engaging the rack, a lock pivoted on the adjuster and securing the holding pawl in engagement with the rack.

3. In a brake mechanism, a lever, a rack operatively connected with the lever, a relatively fixed guide for the rack, a holding pawl on the guide engaging the rack, an adjuster moving with respect to the guide upon excess brake movement, a spring resisting such movement of the adjuster and automatically restoring it upon release of the brakes, J

a driving pawl on the adjuster engaging the rack, means operated by the adjuster for securing the holding pawl in enga-gement wit-h the rack, and means for holding both pawls released from the rack.

4. In a brake mechanism, a lever, a rack operatively connected with the lever, a relatively fiXed guide for the rack, a holding pawl on the guide engaging the rack, an adjuster moving with respectto the guide upon excess brake movement, a spring resisting such movement of the adjuster and automatically restoring it upon release of the brakes, a driving pawl on the adjuster engaging the rack, manually operated means for holding both the'driving and holding pawls released, including a bell-crank lever and a wedge operated by the lever.

5. In a brake mechanism, a lever, a rack operatively connected with the lever, a relatively fiXed guide for the rack, a holding pawl on the guide engaging the rack, an adjuster moving with respect to the guide upon excess brake movement, a spring resisting such movement of the adjuster and automatically restoring it upon release of the brakes, a driving pawl on the adjuster engaging the rack, and manually operated means for holding both the driving and holding pawls released including a wedge and a bell-crank lever /havingone arm controlling the Wedge and another arm serving as a handle.

V6'. In a brake mechanism, 'a lever, a rack p connected with thefleverand having tvvo sets of teeth separated by Ya track, a relativeljT` Vfixed guide for the'rack, a holding paWl on v ,operativelyy connected with the lever, a. rela-` 'ti'vely fixed *guideY for the rack,y a holding pavvl on the guide engaging theirack, anad# 'pa-Wl on the vguide engaging the rack, an ad-x 'the guide engaging the raclnan adjuster, a

juster, a pavvl on the adjuster lwhereby it may4 move relative to the rack in one direction' but 26 moves the'raclr VWith itin the other direction,4

and meansv on the radjusterlfor securingr the holding pavvl in engagement Withtherackv 8. In. a bra-ke mechanism, a lever, al rack juster, ra driving pfavvl` on the`v adjuster Wherebythe latter may movein one Vdirection relative to the rack but Will, drive the rack Whenv movedV in theopposite. direction, and a piv-` oted pavvl lock on the adjuster to engage the i heel of the holding piavvl andhold it inengag'ement with the rack.,`

9..In a brake mechanism, a leverfa rack!- operatively connected with the. lever., a relativelyv ixed guide for therack, ai 'holdingy pavvl on the guide enga-ging the rack, anV ad- 7 justerv moving With Arespect to the guide upon'v excess brake movement, a1spring resisting such movement of Vthe adjuster and automati f callyrestoring it, uponreleaseof the brakes,

` a driving pavvl on the adjuster engaging theV rack, 'and means for securing the holding p avvl 1n engagement with the raclgsaid means being automatically released upon a givenl excess brake travel. i

10. In a brake mechanism, a lever, a rack itsV normal position by a crosspieceon'V the .driving pawl', v Y y 12.l In a brake mechanism, fa lever, a rack ving two setsfof-.teeth separated bywavr channel,

a relatively vfixed guide for the rack, a hold; j L f4 ing pavvl onthezguide engaging the racln, an

, adjuster movingto reset the rack upon-excess 'brake travel, said adjuster including a. head, afdriving pavvl astride the head, and a lockingV pavvl normally Yresting upon the driving. f pa-Wl in anupright langular position and envoperatively connected with the; lever and hav# F- f gaging avportion olf the holding pavvl tolock thel'a-tter in engagement with the rack. l

` 13. In .a brakel mechanism,a lever, a rack operatively connected with the lever and hav-v ing two sets ofteeth separated by a channel,

a relatively fixed yguide for the rack, Ia holdving paWl on theguide endaging the rack, an

adjustermoving to reset t leV rack upon excess brake travel, 'said' Iadjuster including .a head,Vv i

a driving p-avvl astride the head, a locking paWl normally resting upon the driving pavvl l lin an upright angularpositionand engaging a portion of the Vrholding pawl to lock the latterin engagement with the rack, and manl ual means for releasing the three pavvls 'inf cluding awedge block and a bell crank lever, onel arm of which lever operates `the block` to lift'the holding vpavvl from the rackl and another arm operating. to disengage the driv-i` ing andlocking pavvls. e In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

PERcY B. l carinal` ,operatively connected with the lever, a rela pavvl ron the guide engaging the rack,y an adjustermoving With respect to the guideupon y tively fixed guide for the rack, a holding excess brake ,movement,l a vspring resisting i' such movement of the adjuster and automatically restoring itzuponrreleaseof' the brakes,

a.l driving pavvl on the adjuster engaging thel ,i

rack, and means forv securing theV holding pavvl inV engagement with the rack including i` a locking pavvl adapted to bear lagainst heels on the holdingpavvL '11., An adjuster for a to therod, a pivoted locking pavvl astride device of the class-jv described comprising arod, a head` secured the adjuster head, and a pivoted VrdrivingV n i' paWl astride-the locking pavvl and adjuster v head, saidlocking pawl beingvsupported 

